We are now 300 kilometers south of Iguazu, in the city of Posadas, capital of the Misiones province. I had expected a dusty smaller town, but instead found a vibrant, moderately large, elegant city with good restaurants and shopping. It is located on the Parana river, once again, across from the country of Paraguay.
This entire area is dedicated to the cultivation of Yerba Mate, the tea of choice of Argentinians, that is so ingrained in the local culture. People don't leave their homes without a thermos bottle and a cup full of Mate, which is drunk with a special straw in a specially shaped cup. It's an art.
Monuments and statues all over the country are dedicated to the drinking and making of Mate
I had intended to spend a couple of days in Paraguay, but once again, the rental company does not want its car to be taken across borders. There are bus options, but the fact that we would need another PCR test, just for a couple of days, is a turn-off, and we decided against it. We can see the large city of Encarnacion, Paraguay right across the river.
View of the town of Encarnacion, Paraguay. Notice the haze from the forest fires
The province of Misiones has been experiencing severe forest fires, and the sky was clearly smoky all the way across, with rain threatening. We opted to stay in town, and relax by the pool in our beautiful new abode, a veritable tropical oasis in the city center. The heat and the humidity have been overpowering. Luckily, the sky opened up and it rained considerably for about an hour, cooling things off.
Both Diane and I have been sleeping like babies lately. We wish you a great night as well.
fabulous photos!!
Ogni posto piu` bello dell`altro, stupendo